


A Four-Step Plan

by Mara



Category: Power Rangers Samurai
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-05 01:47:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3100514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mara/pseuds/Mara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why do love and relationships have to be so...complicated? Why do you actually have to <i>talk</i> to the other person?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Four-Step Plan

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PunkPinkPower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PunkPinkPower/gifts).



> An Alpha treat, because I couldn't resist :)

Mike flirted with Kevin _all the time_. Mike knew it. Kevin knew it. Ji knew it. Heck, even _Jayden_ knew it and usually you had to shoot an arrow into a wall to get his attention. (Hi, Antonio.)

There were probably tribes living in the Amazon River basin that knew that Mike flirted with Kevin. 

So when Kevin finally made up his mind to accept Mike's advances, he figured it would all be easy. He'd refused to acknowledge them for so long, though. First, there was the battle against the Nighlok. And then preparing for the Olympics. Then going to the Olympics. Then winning a silver medal (and it was going to be gold next time).

Then it was (Kevin had to admit) sheer cowardice. The team gathered to welcome him back from Rio and Mike hugged him and Kevin hugged him back, heart pounding. And then he managed to avoid looking him in the eyes for 48 straight hours, until everyone had to go home.

Kevin spent a weekend sulking on his couch after that. But he got himself off the couch Monday morning and started planning, because clearly he had to have everything planned out if it was going to work.

* * *

Step 1: Be in the same place at the same time but without the rest of the team.

It was fortunate that Kevin was so organized, because it took a significant amount of effort, an iPad, two calendars, and a spreadsheet to figure out a time to invite the team to hang out when nobody would be available except for Mike. (No, it never occurred to him to just invite Mike.)

The bad news was that it was three months away. Kevin gritted his teeth and told himself that if he'd waited this long, he could wait a little longer. And he called to invite him to visit.

"Hey, man," Mike said, his voice warm and full of laughter, as always. "You're sounding exceptionally uptight tonight. You need to relax."

Kevin repressed any thoughts of what he might do to relax. "Well you're too relaxed."

"Are you kidding? I'm studying my ass off."

Kevin grinned, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "Actually, you're on the phone telling me I need to relax."

"Yeah yeah, you're hilarious. No, seriously, this landscape design program is a lot more work than I expected."

"Landscape design?"

"Seriously," Mike said. "It was Ji's idea. He's always been too good at reading us for our own good, right? Found this program for me and bugged me until I agreed to try a class. I would understand gardening—" 

"Goes with your powers."

"Right. But landscape design? I had no idea I would be so good at it or enjoy it so much." 

"That's great." Kevin smiled. "I knew you could find something like that."

"Thanks, man. So what's up? You sounded like you had a reason you were calling."

"Oh, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to come visit over Memorial Day weekend. I've got some time off from training."

"Sure, sounds good. I'll be just finished with my exams then and ready to party."

"I don't party."

"Sure you do, in your own Kevin way." Mike laughed and it should have sounded mean, but it didn't, because Kevin understood what he meant.

Butterflies took off in his stomach and began an aerial display. "So, it's a" (date) "plan, then?"

"Yeah. Hey, I really do have to go now, because soil management won't study itself. Good talking to you, bro."

"Good luck studying."

"G'night."

"Night."

Kevin hung up the phone and started to hyperventilate. It was going to be fine, right? Of course it was.

* * *

Step 2: Prepare for the visit.

The week before Mike's scheduled arrival, Kevin started cleaning his apartment. Not that it wasn't clean already, of course, but it could always use a little more cleaning.

Especially because cleaning was a great distraction from thinking about the fact that _Mike was coming to visit_.

He cleaned out the oven. He vacuumed out the closets. He washed all of his sheets and towels. He scrubbed the bathtub. Twice.

He wasn't nervous. Not at all. Why should he be nervous? It would be ridiculous to be nervous when it was just a visit from his best friend. Who he was in love with.

Was that a stain in the kitchen sink?

* * *

Step 3: Get comfortable.

Mike arrived in a motorcycle-riding, package-laden flurry, jogging up the steps and talking a mile a minute. "The internship is going great so far. They're really willing to let me get experimental, as long as I'm ready to clean up my messes."

"Sounds good."

"And I swear, using the CAD program is like an awesome video game, so I get to combine my two favorite things."

Kevin grinned as he opened the apartment door. They bumped into each other, trying to maneuver in, their arms brushing together. Every hair on Kevin's body stood up at that small contact and he struggled to breathe normally. 

"How's training going?" Mike asked, dropping his bags in the living room. 

"The usual." Kevin shrugged. "I'm not sure I'm making a lot of progress. Coach says it's okay, though, that it's normal after the Olympics."

The look Mike gave him was knowing. "Like after we won."

"Yeah." Kevin looked away. "So, can I get you something to drink?"

"So formal. Just tell me you got something unhealthy for me and I'm not going to be drinking wheatgrass shakes for the next three days." Mike walked backwards toward the kitchen with a grin.

"Even _I_ won't drink wheatgrass shakes." Kevin snorted. 

"Good to know you have some limits." Mike opened the fridge and took out a beer, holding the bottle up to look at the label. "Oooh, and you got the good stuff too." 

"Only the best for you." Kevin tried to smile and play his statement off as a joke, but he wasn't sure it worked. Leaning around Mike, he grabbed the water pitcher, trying to not notice how close their bodies were.

It took an actual effort to step away to get himself a glass but he managed it, taking a long drink of water to clear his throat.

Closing the fridge, Mike grabbed the bottle opener out of the drawer, popping the bottle top and taking a long drink. 

"So..." they both said at the same moment.

Feeling his cheeks get warm, Kevin gestured for Mike to speak first. Mike shook his head. "Um...let's sit down. A couple hours on the bike is tiring."

Kevin just nodded, feeling like an idiot.

* * *

Step 3: Admit to having...feelings.

They sat awkwardly on the couch, Mike not doing his usual sprawl to take up 90% of the available space, and Kevin staring down into his glass of water in the hopes it would provide a distraction. Like a monster attack. He could really go for a good Nighlok attack right at this moment.

The butterflies he thought he'd banished had not only come back, but they'd brought a few thousand of his friends. And the careful speech he'd prepared and practiced a hundred times in the last month was completely gone from his mind. Kevin took another gulp of water, trying to keep his mouth from going dry, but it didn't work.

Kevin jumped at the small sound of Mike putting his beer bottle down on the coffee table. Brows furrowed, Mike took a deep breath. "Kevin, I..."

Kevin waited as Mike took another deep breath. And another. "Yes?"

"Why is this so hard?" Mike rubbed the back of his neck, looking unaccustomedly serious.

"What? What's wrong?" Kevin's breath caught in his throat, his imagination going wild. "Did something—"

"No!" Mike waved his hands. "No, it's nothing wrong. I mean, not a bad thing."

"So it's...something good that's wrong?" 

"Jesus, just gimme a minute!" Mike's voice rose to a near-yell.

Kevin stared at him, carefully folding his hands in his lap and waiting.

Covering his face, Mike said "Jesus H. Christ in a fucking sidecar."

Eyebrows raised, Kevin couldn't resist. "What would your mother say if she heard you talk like that?"

That forced a laugh out of Mike, who lowered his hands. "She'd wash my mouth out with soap, Ranger or no Ranger."

Kevin waited.

"I..."

I should go first, Kevin thought. Spit out what I want to say and then we can deal with whatever is bothering him. "Mike, I..." His heart was beating like he was coming up to the wall on the last turn of the relay.

"I love you!" Mike yelled. 

"Mike, I love you and—wait, what?" Kevin stared at him.

"I love you and I'm tired of waiting. Do you love me or—wait, what did you say?" Mike stared back.

Silence fell as each of them rewound the conversation in their minds. Kevin was the first to crack, a slightly hysterical giggle popping out of his mouth before he managed to stifle it with his hand. 

Mike's lips started to twitch.

Within moments, both of them were laughing and falling over on the couch. "We're so ridiculous," Kevin said.

"We? You're the one who's been running away from me," Mike said, poking him in the chest.

"You're the one who never said anything outright," Kevin said, poking him right back.

"Fine, we're both ridiculous." Rolling his eyes, Mike grabbed Kevin's hand and held it to his cheek. "Now kiss me."

Kevin felt like his heart had stopped and his fingers flexed against' Mike's cheek, feeling the slight bristle of a five o'clock shadow. Swallowing, he leaned forward slightly and brushed his lips across Mike's.

"Is that all you've got, blue boy?" Mike whispered.

"Hell, no." Gathering the last of his courage, Kevin put his other hand behind Mike's head and pulled him into a real kiss, with tongues and teeth and tingles. Both of them were breathing hard by the time they pulled back.

"That's more like it."

* * *

Step 4: Live happily ever after.

"One year," Mike said, propping his feet up on the coffee table next to Kevin's. "One year of school and then I can be here full-time."

Savoring the ability to do it freely, Kevin took Mike's hand in his and held tight. "And you're only a few hours away. We'll figure things out in the meantime."

"Yeah, we will." Mike leaned against him. "Now be a good boyfriend and order me pizza. With pepperoni."

"Pizza? I'm making you eat salad for dinner." Kevin kept a straight face. "Just salad. Maybe with some dressing if you're good."

"No, not the salad." Mike tilted his head so he could grin at him. "Anything but the salad. Tell me it'll have grilled salmon on it."

Huffing a breath, Kevin leaned his cheek against the top of Mike's head. "Of course it'll have salmon, doofus. And fresh croutons. I even bought you those stupid fake bacon bits you like."

"I may be a doofus, but I'm your doofus."

"Yeah." Kevin felt a rush of affection. "You're definitely my doofus."

\--end--


End file.
